A/N: Hmmm. Not as many reviews as this time, eh?

Disclaimer: HA! Yeah right. Like I own anything.

Chapter 13: This is Not Good

Hermione and Draco left the Common Room. They were to meet Harry by the entrance. When they saw him, he was wincing and rubbing his head. Ron looked like he was ready to help Harry in case of an emergency.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"My scar," Harry murmured.

"Not just your scar," Ron tattled. "Last night you were muttering in your sleep!" Hermione looked at Ron nervously.

"Maybe we should just skip Hogsmeade." Hermione suggested.

"No, it's fine," Harry said quickly. "I'll be okay.

"Harry, your scar hurting doesn't mean it's just a headache. It means that something bad is going to happen," Hermione scolded.

"Yeah, but Hermione, what if something's wrong at Hogwarts? Let's just go to Hogsmeade. If my scar is still hurting, we'll go back. Okay?" Hermione thought about it. She didn't want to be a party pooper, but she was also concerned with Harry's safety.

"Okay," Hermione decided with a sigh. "Let's go." Harry and Ron cheered as they went outside. Hermione just shook her head. She knew she was going to regret this. But she wasn't anyone's mother. She couldn't make Harry or Ron do anything. She just loved her best friends and doesn't want anything to happen to either of them.

When they got to Hogsmeade, Hermione noticed that Harry wasn't rubbing his scar anymore. Hermione wasn't sure if this was an act or if this was the real deal. She paid close attention to his behavior. He was walking with Ron, making conversation and joking around. He seemed to be better.

But the truth was that Harry was NOT feeling better. As he talked with Ron, he tried to mask the look of pain that he felt. The pain wasn't getting any better. If anything, it was getting worse. But Harry was stubborn. This was a trip to Hogsmeade. After this trip, there'd only be one left. Part of Harry felt guilty that he was lying to his best friends, but he didn't want to be cooped up in that castle. Everything was different and he needed to get out.

Harry looked back and saw Hermione and Draco in conversation. He still didn't know how he felt with Hermione and Draco together. It was different, that was for sure. It was clear by their body language that they were more than just a pair: they were lovers, too. He almost shuddered at the thought, and turned his attention back to Ron.

Draco's fingers intertwined with Hermione's. She looked up at him in smiles. He smiled back, with a hint of nervousness in his features.

"It'll be okay," Hermione told him.

"I sure hope so…" Draco replied.

The group walked into The Three Broomsticks. They immediately spotted Hagrid, who was waving them over. Hermione walked over, but Draco hung back.

"Come on," Hermione said softly.

"I can't." Draco told her.

"Yes you can," Hermione insisted. "You are a strong person. You went through a lot this summer. You can handle this." Hermione rubbed her hands on his arms. Draco sighed and stepped forward. They walked to Hagrid's table and joined Harry and Ron.

"Hi, Hermione! Good ter see yeh! An' who's--" He paused and saw Draco.

"Malfoy. What d'yeh think yer--"

"Um…I'll go get the drinks? Four butterbeers, yes? Yeah. I'll go get those…those drinks," Ron finished awkwardly. He disappeared into the crowd of students. Harry suddenly found the wooden table to be very interesting.

"Harry, did yeh know abou' this?" Hagrid asked.

"Know about what?" Harry asked calmly.

"Tha' Hermione is out with a Malfoy?" Hagrid tried to keep his voice low, but judging by the amount of small shot glasses on the table, he was already a little tipsy. Enough so that people just stared at him. Draco stared down at his lap.

"He's changed, Hagrid," Harry said firmly.

"Changed?" Hagrid repeated with a sneer. "'Is dad is a--"

Malfoy couldn't deal with it. He pushed his chair out from the table and walked out. Everyone's eyes were on him.

Outside, he paced. This was stupid. He shouldn't have done this. It was too soon and too sudden. As he pondered, he felt hands on his upper arms. He knew it was Hermione without having to turn around.

"I'm sorry," He told her. He felt Hermione's lips on his shoulder.

"Don't be sorry. I should be sorry," Hermione replied. "I have every reason to be sorry. Maybe going to The Three Broomsticks was too big of a step. We should have taken smaller ones." Draco turned around and faced her.

"Hermione, I doubt anyone's going to click their heels with joy once they find out about us," Draco said.

"So what are you saying?" Hermione asked.

"What I'm saying is let's just not care what anyone things. Let's take advantage of this day and spend it together. If we get looks, who cares. Let's just enjoy this day." Draco looked at her. She smiled at him and nodded her head.

And surprisingly enough, they had fun. T hey went into Honeyduke's and bought chocolates. Hermione persuaded Draco to come with her to Zonko's. There were lots of Hogwarts students there. Unfortunately, Lavender and Parvati were among them.

"Great," Hermione moaned. "Now the students that didn't come are going to know by dinner."

"Are you ashamed of me?" Draco asked.

"No! Of course I'm not!" Hermione looked up at him to see that he was smiling.

"That wasn't funny," She grumbled.

"Sure it was," Malfoy replied. He wrapped an arm around her.

"It's so weird," Hermione murmured.

"What is?"

"Just how much you've changed. How affectionate you are. How much you care…and don't at the same time." Draco knew exactly what she meant. He brushed her hair away from her face. She was leaning close to him, when Zonko's went back. Draco heard shrieks and cries. But among those, he heard a familiar voice:

"Petrificus Totalus." He went stiff and fell back. As he fell, he hit one of the shelves. Everything went black.

When Draco came to, everything was unfamiliar. And he had a big headache. He groaned and massaged the back of his head.

'What happened?' He thought to himself. He remembered Hogsmeade up until Zonko's. Something wasn't right.

He blinked his eyes into focus. He was in a small, dark room. It wasn't a prison, but it did look familiar. Then he realized: this was his room where he would get punished. His eyes adjusted to the darkness. There was the door. He jumped up and ran to throw it open. He had to get to Hermione. This was all his "father's" doing. When he reached the door, however, he was catapulted back against the wall. He hit it with a resounding thump.

'Great,' He thought. 'There's some kind of shield preventing me from getting out.' But he had no time to think. He heard footsteps thumping up the stairs. And in moments, his former father was standing in front of him.

"Draco," His father sneered.

"Lucius," Draco sneered back. Lucius's hand snapped up and slapped Draco across his right cheek. Draco's head flung to the side.

"So. You fell for a Mudblood," Lucius spit out the last word of the sentence.

"Her name's Hermione," Draco growled. Lucius again slapped him. Draco's chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath.

"You idiot boy. You thought you could keep it a secret at that disgusting Ball. You started to gain the trust of…Potter. I have watched you destroy the reputation of the Malfoys."

"I'm a Malfoy no longer," Draco seethed. "You made that quite clear in July." That got him another slap across the face. He spit blood out on the floor from his mouth.

"I'm going to kill you," Lucius growled. Draco received a knee to the chest. His eyes began to water, but he refused to hunch over.

"I," Lucius continued, tripping him by catching his foot around his ankles and kicking him down. Draco fell to the floor, the hard tile connecting to his cheek. He heard the bones crack. "I am going to watch the life leave your eyes. Turn over," He kicked Malfoy in the side. Groaning, Malfoy flipped over on his back. "I'd like to actually watch you die." And that's when Malfoy began receiving the blows. Draco fought to remain conscious. He had to, for Hermione.

"Are you having fun?" Lucius asked.

"Go…to hell…" Draco wheezed. Lucius smirked and took out his wand. This was it. He closed his eyes and gulped.

'I'm sorry, Hermione,' He thought to himself.

"Avada Kedarva!" He waited. He saw the green light, and heard a body thump. But…Draco still felt alive. And his body was still functioning. He clutched his stomach and winced as he sat up. He was staring into the lifeless eyes of Lucius Malfoy. And there, standing before him, was Harry Potter, sweating and trembling.